Many civil libertarians around the world have rallied to support Clare Daly, Irish Parliament member of the United Left Alliance representing Dublin, after she challenged the prime minister and the reception given to President Barack Obama who she called a war criminal. The video of the speech is below. Daly called Obama the “hypocrite of the century” for lecturing children on peace while expanding drone attacks and funding civil wars around the world. Many in the United States particularly took note of her attack on the type of cult of personality surrounding Obama that seems detached from his horrendous record on civil liberties, privacy, and international law.
Daly noted that it is not just the government but the media fueling this cult of personality — spending endless time on what the Obamas were ordering for lunch rather than discussing his authoritarian policies. She is the former Socialist Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency but resigned from the Socialist Party and joined the United Left Alliance TD.
Daly is being attacked as immature and radical in her comments.
What do you think?
MM,
I won’t argue it isn’t tribal, but I consider tribalism and the cult of personality to be two distinct sociological effects that are related only in that a person who becomes a tribal rallying point is often (usually) the object of the cult.
SWM and Gene,
Apropos of the discussion of tribal loyalties (a term I prefer to “personality cult”), a very good treatment (as one would expect) from George Orwell in Through a Glass, Rosily. One of my favorite paragraphs:
As true today as in 1945 — or any other period of human history where truth-telling runs afoul of loyalty to “our” tribe vs “theirs.” One of my favorite songs on the subject: “Barry Town,” by Steely Dan
Smom,
Both noise machines are in high gear to provide any distraction from the fact that both R’s and D’s, including the current and previous President, should be on trial for war crimes and civil rights violations. That they are using race issues as one of their distraction tactics is simply not surprising. As noted before, it’s an inherently emotionally charged topic that generates a lot of heat (for little effort) from a propaganda standpoint.
And I’ll say “far right” but not “far left”. There is no far left in this country’s political scene and very few actual liberals. Obama in neither liberal nor politically left. The battle is between the centrist corporatists (DNC) and the far right corporatists (RNC). Between fascism lite and fascism original.
Race is a distraction from both major parties wrong doing.
“Divide” is a key component of the “divide and conquer” strategy.
sotb,
Then I suggest you re-read the Constitution until you understand that empirically Obama has pissed all over it just like his predecessor.
People in their sinful body piss on what God made. Judge yourself.
Gene, “The valid criticisms of Obama have nothing to do with race.” True… but the right wing noise machine is cranked up so loud that you can barely hear them.
@Gene H. – “The blindness of the some to Obama’s crimes because of his color or his party affiliation is the very definition of cult of personality in action.”
My blindness is due to empirical data… I’m just saying… 🙂
@SWM – Ta tu i gceart Lassie!
@Dante – How do you explain that over 104 NAZI war criminals escaped prosecution at NUREMBERG? To help our massive technological advances today so that USSR couldn’t get them? Try looking up OPERATION PAPERCLIP (one of many undocumented operations sneaking NAZI war criminals into USA via the US JIOA). Many US federal & MILINDCOMP high-tech operations today can thank them for learning extremely “new ideas”.
How can anyone compare POTUS OHB to them?
Jill,
Obama being a war criminal and a traitor to his oath of office and the Constitution have absolutely nothing to do with his race or racism.
Just as Bush/Cheney being war criminals and a traitors to their oaths of office and the Constitution have absolutely nothing to do with their race or racism.
Fascism is fascism and criminals are criminals.
Racism is a social evil. The valid criticisms of Obama have nothing to do with race. Curiously though, some of his supporters try to use that as a crutch to defend their defense of a man who has taken ultra vires, indefensible and unconscionable actions under the color of authority to claim unitary executive powers that simply don’t exist under the Constitution.
Like you, I condemn racism, but my open dislike of Obama is rooted in the same soil as my open dislike of Bush and Cheney. They’re criminals usurping the Constitution. They could be plaid and it wouldn’t change that.
The blindness of the some to Obama’s crimes because of his color or his party affiliation is the very definition of cult of personality in action.
sonofthunderboanerges. Doesn’t everybody know who Gerry Adams is? 😉 I will bet these right wingers that post here don’t or they would not praise Ms. Daly so highly. My great grandmother was an Adams from Dingle.
Jill “Neither racism nor ending the rule of law is acceptable. It is difficult to understand why people are not able to condemn both.” That would be preferable but it does not seem to be working out that way does it? A Pew Poll came out today that shows the American public is very divided over the Trayvon Martin killing and Zimmerman’s aquittal. Most of the division is along racial and political lines.
@Blouise – I know you are one of the few here that will appreciate this… However, calling OHB a hypocrite is kinda’ retarded… why? Claire is a confirmed SOCIALIST what OHB is being falsely accused of. She is a confirmed ATHEIST… OHB is not. OHB knows the “real” reason why MQ1’s are needed in the WOT (despite the collateral damage)… Helping Anti-Assad Syrians is much like helping Netanyahu isn’t it? A friend is a friend*. Claire does not as she is clueless (as well as very worldly-immature).
*The enemy of my enemy is my friend – The Arthashastra
Also I don’t think her hands are clean as it concerns Gerry Adams (aka
Gearoid Mac Adhaimh) undocumented & questionable paramilitary operations who is also a member of Teachta Dala. I’m sure you know who Gary is? President of something interesting?
So the theory is, people are so offended by right wing criticism of Obama that they are unable to accept the reality of what Obama is doing and thus vote for him and still rally around him no matter what?
Am I getting this correctly? If so, there is an alternative. Condemn racism. Point out it is ridiculous to call Obama a socialist when he’s a capitalist on steroids, etc. At the same time honestly acknowledge what Obama is doing to the rule of law, to detainees in Gitmo, to whistleblowers, to civilians including children via drones, to protection of banking fraud, etc. and condemn that.
Neither racism nor ending the rule of law is acceptable. It is difficult to understand why people are not able to condemn both.
Certainly more than a fair share of them around here……….
So instead, it’s better to let a black man take away their rights than to hold him accountable for violating the Constitution. And standing up for him is okay no matter what he does because you’re “fighting teh racists”.
Yep.
No cult of personality here. Nothing to see. Move along.
And if the republicans nominate Rand Paul which I rather doubt will happen, race will move front and center again.
yep, That’s my opinion. Also, African Americans turned out in states like Virginia and Florida in record numbers and waited for 6 to 8 hours because those exhibiting “white privilege” were trying to take their rights away..
“I would not call this a cult of personality but rather a visceral reaction on the part of his voters to the ugliness of the “keep the whitehouse white” crowd.”
Really.
Is that how some justify supporting a man who claimed ultra vires the President could kill American citizens without due process?
Unlike Europe,the the US has very few active leftists, so most of Obama’s criticism ends up coming from far right wingers and birthers that often resort to racist and personal attacks which results in minorities and democrats rallying around him in support. I would not call this a cult of personality but rather a visceral reaction on the part of his voters to the ugliness of the “keep the whitehouse white” crowd. The latest attacks on him with regards to his speech about Trayvon Martin further highlights this.
Woe unto you that does not clean the inside of your cup being defined inside never giving any blessings nether any good words in an attempt to teach anyone anything that is good. People against Jesus railed and railed against Jesus saying nothing that is good evens as you are speaking. Why do people refuse to be like Jesus is? You are for a person that is pharisaical in their behavior.